Cheap rubbers - Am i missing something?

fais said:

My concern stems from my experience with premades. I've been in those situations where taking a few steps away from the table and the racket bottoms out. Basically, no higher gear. That is what i question when it comes to cheap rubbers. I intend to improve my technique and get better via that. Realistically, I'm never going to reach beyond USAT 2100/2200, not because of lack in skill, technique or physical prowess, rather because of lack of time and training investment. My question is, will these cheap rubbers crap out on me or will they continue to behave decently as i get better? Will my mercury 2 hold up if/when i try to backhand loopdrive 5-10 feet away from the table (with proper form and technique)?

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It would hold up for a pro player. Those are hard rubbers. Nevermind you as an amateur you have nothing to worry about bottoming out

I can't say a lot about supper cheap 2-5 usd rubbers, but I can say that 10-20eur rubbers (which is considered cheap by todays prices) are totally totally fine.

maybe the question should be not are cheap rubbers any good, but why some are so expensive (to put it into a perspective as someone noted in some post some time ago, you can buy a car tire for the price of some 30x30cm sheet of tenergy rubber....) and that having 50ish rubber is a new normal for some time now. So butterfly decided to shift the paradigm to 80eur and it can be possible that they will succeed and 80eur will be a new normal for top of the line rubbers.. and off course, their intrinsic value is not anywhere near the price they are asking and I am pretty sure they could be selling them not for 80, but for 20, but why should they?

fais said:

My concern stems from my experience with premades. I've been in those situations where taking a few steps away from the table and the racket bottoms out. Basically, no higher gear. That is what i question when it comes to cheap rubbers. I intend to improve my technique and get better via that. Realistically, I'm never going to reach beyond USAT 2100/2200, not because of lack in skill, technique or physical prowess, rather because of lack of time and training investment. My question is, will these cheap rubbers crap out on me or will they continue to behave decently as i get better? Will my mercury 2 hold up if/when i try to backhand loopdrive 5-10 feet away from the table (with proper form and technique)?

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Base on what you are saying above, can I ask first what's your set up?

Resurrecting this thread because I just used a black Mecury II medium hardness rubber for the first time on my forehand with my carbon blade. I really really liked it! Yes it is only $5 a sheet on Aliexpress. I was really shocked.

I buy in bulk from TT11 so my 39 degree H3 neo commercial costs me about $20 a sheet. I have like 30 of them. So I am totally used to using H3 on my forehand side.

I have cheated on my hurricane by trying Big Dipper, Sanwei Target National, K1 Europe and K2 on the forehand side, never happy. I tried G-1 on the forehand side, not happy (I used G-1 on the backhand side for 4 years so I just flipped the blade over to try it on the forehand side). Tried T05 fx on the forehand side, not happy.

Today, I was very very happy with $5 Mercury II medium (boosted of course). The tackiness totally reminds me of hurricane. My loop was great. The gear could be a bit higher. I mean maybe the speed is about 80-85% of H3 neo? I did hit a couple blocks into the net because of that. But I can totally see myself using it! For example, I have a Nittaku Acoustic carbon that is fast. Maybe Mecury II medium could go well on that.

On the other hand, I have a lot of Gambler rubbers. No, even with their oh-toro new Japanese sponge, I feel no catapult from them. I love Gambler blades. I do not recommend Gambler rubbers. I don't care they are cheap. I would not touch them.

But Mercury II....uhm....

Yinhe cheap end products are no joke, I'm currently using Mercury 2 on the backhand unboosted and it support every aspect of my backhand sufficiently. Of course being a cheap rubber, it won't reward passive shots or shots where the technique is off, also it only fits close table play.
On the side note, yesterday I tried a pre-made yinhe 01b with its rubbers all oxidized and battered, somehow still has enough speed and spin to play rallies lol